By DPA
London : Former Pakistan prime minister Nawaz Sharif has said he could return home from exile in Saudi Arabia as early as next week following talks between President Pervez Musharraf and Saudi leaders about his return.
Sharif said his return to Pakistan was high on the agenda in talks between Saudi government leaders and General Musharraf in Riyadh Tuesday. He made the statement in an interview with the Financial Times in London published Wednesday.
“The Saudi authorities are quite keen to take this matter forward with Musharraf,” Sharif said. “And to my knowledge, I know Musharraf is in Saudi Arabia to discuss my return to Pakistan.”
According to Saudi sources cited by the newspaper, the kingdom favours an understanding between Musharraf and both opposition leaders – Sharif and Benazir Bhutto.
The Saudis were convinced that the exiled leader was needed if stability was to be restored in Pakistan.
The position differs significantly from that of the US, which has sought to keep Sharif out of the picture, the paper said.
Sharif said he had been in close contact with the Saudi royal family, which he said was pushing for his return to Pakistan by the Nov 26 deadline to register himself to contest in the Jan 8 parliamentary elections.